The home bar
You want espresso, milk drinks and a counter that looks like you know what you're doing. Start here for machines, grinders and every tool that goes around them.
Build the barEquipment & Kits
Gear for the way you actually brew.
Full home bar, one corner of the kitchen counter, or a campsite at 6 a.m. Pick your spot, pick your budget, and we'll tell you which of our roasts to put in it.
Start with the space
Where do you brew?
The countertop
No remodel, no plumber, no excuses. A brewer, a grinder and a scale fit next to the toaster and change the cup more than you'd think.
Set up the counterOn the go
Camp, hotel room, desk drawer. Small kits that pack light and still make a cup worth getting out of the sleeping bag for.
Pack a kitSetups by budget
Four budgets. No wrong door.
Prices are rough totals for a whole setup, not one machine, and they move when the brands change them. Start anywhere. Move up when the coffee asks you to.
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About $150 to $250
Bronze Discover better coffee
For: You're new to this, done with pods, or buying for someone who is.
You get: A simple brewer, a grinder and a scale: the three changes you'll taste first.
Pairs with Bloom
See Bronze setups -
About $350 to $600
Silver Upgrade your ritual
For: You already brew every day and you're ready for it to taste like it.
You get: A better grinder, a precise kettle or a batch brewer that does the work for you.
Pairs with Forge
See Silver setups -
About $900 to $2,500
Gold Build your home coffee bar
For: You want espresso and milk drinks at home, or drip good enough to skip espresso entirely.
You get: A real espresso machine or showpiece brewer, plus the tools that make it repeatable.
Pairs with Apex
See Gold setups -
$2,500 and up
Platinum Bring the whole bar home
For: You know exactly what you like, and you want a bar that answers to nobody.
You get: Dual boilers, big flat burrs, a scale that lives on the drip tray and, if you want it, a water line.
Pairs with Apex
See Platinum setups
The setups
Pick a setup. We already picked the roast.
Each setup is a full list: brewer, grinder, scale and the small stuff people forget. Buy it piece by piece, skip what you already own, or save it to My setup and come back on payday.
The Countertop Pour-Over
A Kalita Wave dripper and its filters, a slim gooseneck, a scale and a hand grinder: one corner of the counter and the end of guessing. Add the OutIn handheld for the days you want a shot of espresso too.
- Budget
- About $225, or $375 with the OutIn add-on
- In the setup
- 6 pieces
- Brew it with
- Bloom
The AeroPress Travel Kit
An AeroPress Go that packs into its own mug, a hand grinder and an insulated mug for the drive. Hotel, desk or trailhead, you're covered.
- Budget
- About $150
- In the setup
- 3 pieces
- Brew it with
- Pathfinder
The Fridge Cold Brew
A one-liter cold brew pitcher, a hand grinder, a scale and Third Wave Water's cold brew minerals. Grind coarse, steep overnight in the fridge, pour it over ice in the morning.
- Budget
- About $165
- In the setup
- 4 pieces
- Brew it with
- Forge
The Camp Crew Kit
An insulated French press that keeps the second cup hot, a no-plug gooseneck, a hand grinder, a scale and a mug. Built for a campsite with more than one coffee drinker.
- Budget
- About $350
- In the setup
- 5 pieces
- Brew it with
- Embers
The Lever Espresso Starter
A Flair Classic manual lever, an espresso-capable burr grinder, a gooseneck for the hot water and a scale. Real espresso from your own arm: no pump, no boiler, no plug on the brewer.
- Budget
- About $450
- In the setup
- 4 pieces
- Brew it with
- Apex
The Pour-Over Upgrade
A flat-bed Kalita Wave, a kettle that holds exact temperature, a grinder that does it all, an Acaia Pearl scale and the water minerals we stock. The setup for people who already pour over and want it dialed.
- Budget
- About $595
- In the setup
- 6 pieces
- Brew it with
- Bloom or Pathfinder
The Daily Driver
Fellow's Aiden brews up to 10 cups with profiles set by roast level, plus an Opus 2 burr grinder. No hobby required, just a great pot every morning.
- Budget
- About $500 (Fellow sells the pair as a kit)
- In the setup
- 2 pieces
- Brew it with
- Forge
The First Espresso Bar
A Breville Barista Express Impress with the grinder built in, a scale, a steaming pitcher, glasses to show off the shot and minerals made for espresso machines. Your first real espresso bar in one footprint. Ready to go further? Fellow's Espresso Series 1 with an Opus 2 grinder is the next step, about $1,560.
- Budget
- About $950
- In the setup
- 5 pieces
- Brew it with
- Apex
The Showpiece Brewer
A Ratio Eight with automated bloom and precise temperature, a flat-burr Ode grinder and an Acaia Pearl to weigh the beans. Pour-over quality by the carafe, and it looks like it belongs in a design magazine.
- Budget
- About $1,250
- In the setup
- 3 pieces
- Brew it with
- Pathfinder
The Prosumer Home Bar
A Fellow Espresso Series 1 with pressure profiling and a 58 mm group, a Mahlkönig X64 SD single-dose grinder with 64 mm flat burrs and low retention, so switching to decaf after dinner is easy, and the full prep kit: Fellow's espresso bundle (dosing funnel, WDT, knock box, tamping mat), a Mahlkönig beech tamper, a steaming pitcher, espresso machine cleaner and minerals made for espresso machines. This is where home espresso gets serious.
- Budget
- About $2,450
- In the setup
- 7 pieces
- Brew it with
- Apex or Navigator
The Dual Boiler Bar
A LELIT Bianca V3 with flow control, a Mahlkönig X64 SD single-dose grinder, a ratio-aware scale, a PUQ automatic puck press and the rest of the prep kit. Brew and steam at the same time, shot after shot. Prefer a hopper and stored grind times? Mahlkönig's X54 swaps right in.
- Budget
- About $4,900
- In the setup
- 9 pieces
- Brew it with
- Apex
The Pocket Espresso Kit
OutIn's Mino heats its own water and pulls the shot on a 22-bar pump, the Fino grinds fresh for it, the Claro weighs the dose and the tumbler carries the rest. Real espresso wherever you can charge it.
- Budget
- About $470
- In the setup
- 4 pieces
- Brew it with
- Apex
The Tabletop Siphon
A Yama glass siphon with its own alcohol burner, spare cloth filters, a Baratza Encore and a scale. Vapor pushes the water up through the grounds, then the coffee falls back through cloth. Fill the burner with denatured alcohol from the hardware store.
- Budget
- About $290
- In the setup
- 4 pieces
- Brew it with
- Bloom
The Slow Drip Tower
A Yama glass tower that drips ice water through the grounds one drop at a time, a Baratza Encore, a scale, the tower's paper filters and Third Wave Water's cold brew minerals. Clean, sweet cold brew you can watch being made.
- Budget
- About $545
- In the setup
- 5 pieces
- Brew it with
- Forge
The Color Bar
An Ascaso Dream PID in the color that suits your kitchen, a Mahlkönig X54 that grinds for espresso and filter, a 58 mm beech tamper, a steaming pitcher, machine cleaner and minerals made for espresso machines. Seven colors, each with a walnut-handled 58 mm portafilter.
- Budget
- About $2,400
- In the setup
- 6 pieces
- Brew it with
- Apex
No setup matches both of those yet. Try another budget.
Build your home coffee bar
Do it in order. Skip the expensive mistakes.
Our step-by-step guide walks you from an empty corner to a dialed-in first shot. Here's the short version.
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Plan it
Decide what you drink most. Buy for that, not for the photo.
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Pick the spot
Near an outlet and a sink, with room to tamp without elbowing anyone.
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Fix the water
Brewed coffee is mostly water. Bad water, bad coffee. Simple.
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Check the power
Some machines want their own circuit. Read the spec before you buy.
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Buy the grinder first
A good grinder lifts a cheap brewer. The reverse rarely does.
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Choose the machine
Match it to your drinks, your counter and how hands-on you want to be.
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Dial it in
Weigh the dose, time the shot, taste, adjust. Then do it again.
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Keep it clean
Old coffee oil tastes like old coffee oil. Backflush, brush, descale.
The step everyone skips
Your coffee is mostly water.
The Specialty Coffee Association's home brewer standard targets 1.15 to 1.55 percent dissolved coffee in the cup, which makes a properly brewed cup more than 98 percent water. Fix the water and the roast in your cup finally gets a fair shot. We stock Third Wave Water, and the guide covers filters for the rest.
Browse the gear
Everything on the bar, one piece at a time.
Already know what you need? Shop by category. Every piece earned its spot, and the card tells you why. Want the accessories and parts too? Shop all the gear. Brewing on an AeroPress? See the AeroPress shelf.
Prices are approximate and set by each brand. Paid links are marked right under the button.
Flair Classic
About $160
Real lever espresso with a pressure gauge and no electricity. Pair it with a grinder that goes fine enough.
Bambino Plus
About $500
Small, heats fast and steams milk for you. The easiest way into lattes made with our beans.
Flair 58 Plus 2
About $700
A 58 mm basket, pressure gauge and preheat control on a manual lever. Hands-on shots without an electric machine's price tag.
Barista Express Impress
About $800
Grinder and espresso machine in one footprint, with assisted tamping. A classic first upgrade that burns through beans.
Espresso Series 1
About $1,500
Fellow's first espresso machine: 58 mm bottomless portafilter, heated grouphead and programmable pressure profiling. Matches the rest of the Fellow bar.
MaraX
About $1,700
LELIT's entry to prosumer espresso: a 58 mm group and automatic temperature control. For people done with appliances.
Gold
Dream PID
$1,635.00
7 colors
Compact, with PID, pre-infusion and shot-time programming, in several colors. A machine you leave out on purpose.
Gold
Steel DUO PID
$2,095.00
3 colors
Dual thermoblocks mean brew and steam at once without a dual-boiler price. Needs a 20-amp circuit, so check first.
Oracle Dual Boiler
About $3,000
Two boilers, Baratza burrs built in, Wi-Fi and a touch screen. The whole bar in one box.
Bianca V3
About $3,000
Dual boiler with a manual flow-control paddle and plumb-in options listed. You control every second of the shot.
Bronze
Encore
$149.95
2 colors
Baratza's starter burr grinder for drip, pour-over, siphon and cold brew. Not an espresso grinder: for espresso, look at the OutIn Fino or a Mahlkönig.
Bronze
Ceramic Hand Mill
$52.50
Fresh grounds for one or two cups, and the handle comes off so it tucks away in a drawer.
Opus 2
About $200
One affordable conical burr grinder that covers espresso and every filter method. When in doubt, this one.
Ode Gen 2
About $400
64 mm flat burrs for clean, clear pour-over and batch brew. Not for espresso, and it doesn't pretend to be.
Gold
X54 Home Grinder
$599.00
Mahlkönig's home grinder: 54 mm burrs, stepless, four stored grind times and quiet. Ready for a Platinum bar.
Gold
X64 SD Single Dose Grinder
$599.00
Weigh the dose, grind it all, nothing left behind. 64 mm flat burrs and stepless adjustment, from the grinder maker behind café workhorses.
Platinum
Orbit Single Dose Grinder
$1,450.00
Acaia's first grinder. Weigh the beans in, grind them all, and it clears itself out between doses. Pair it with a Lunar and it grinds by weight.
Platinum
E64 WS Espresso Grinder
$1,199.00
Set the dose in grams and it stops there. A flat-burr espresso grinder that weighs as it grinds, so every shot starts the same.
V60 Dripper 02 (plastic)
About $13
The classic pour-over cone for the price of a sandwich. Add it to any bag of our coffee.
Mizudashi Cold Brew Pot, 1 L
About $30
A fridge-ready cold brew pitcher with a built-in mesh filter. Coarse grind, overnight steep, done.
Gold
Cold Brew Tower, 25 Cup
$470.00
2 frames
The big tower, for a crowd or a café counter. Same slow drip, a whole batch.
Silver
Cold Brew Tower, 6-8 Cup
$315.00
3 frames
Ice water drips through the grounds one drop at a time. The result is a clean, sweet cold brew, and it's fun to watch.
Bronze
Wave 155 Stainless Dripper
$38.00
Kalita's flat-bed dripper in stainless steel. Water drains evenly instead of pooling, so a shaky pour still brews a clean cup.
Bronze
Wave 185 Glass Dripper
$39.00
A flat-bed dripper with three holes that forgives a sloppy pour. For people who find cones fussy.
Bronze
Stovetop Siphon, 8 Cup
$68.00
The siphon that heats on your own burner. No alcohol to buy, and enough for the table.
Bronze
Tabletop Siphon, 5 Cup
$78.00
2 sizes
Vapor pushes the water up through the grounds, then the coffee falls back through cloth. Part science class, part coffee.
Bronze
AeroPress Clear
$49.95
4 colors
The AeroPress in see-through Tritan, so you can watch the brew. Same press, same clean cup, four colors.
Bronze
AeroPress Clear XL
$89.95
Twice the AeroPress. Enough for two cups, or one big one.
Bronze
AeroPress Original
$44.95
The cheapest way to brew a clean cup of our coffee. One or two cups, no fuss.
Bronze
Wave 155 Filters (100)
$12.00
The paper the Wave 155 is built around. One pack, a hundred cups.
Bronze
Wave 185 Filters (100)
$13.00
The filters a Wave 185 needs. Keep a spare pack in the drawer.
Bronze
Siphon Cloth Filters (5)
$9.00
Spare washable cloths for a Yama siphon. Rinse after each brew and rotate.
Silver
Tower Paper Filters, 6-8 Cup (20)
$10.00
The round paper that sits on top of the grounds in a 6-8 cup tower. One per batch.
Clara French Press
About $100
An insulated French press with a fine mesh filter. The second cup is still hot when you get to it.
Bronze
Glass French Press
$26.00
2 sizes
A small glass press for one, or a bigger one to share. Coffee or loose leaf.
Cup-One
About $260
The single-cup Moccamaster for people who drink alone. Same SCA certification, about four minutes a cup.
KBGV
About $370
SCA-certified batch brewer with a five-year warranty. A full carafe at the right temperature, no hobby needed.
Ratio Six (Series 2)
About $380
Automated bloom and brew, thermal carafe, built to meet SCA Certified Home Brewer standards. Pour-over quality at the push of a button.
Aiden
About $400
Brew profiles by roast level, a cold brew mode and a thermal carafe. The app does the remembering.
Ratio Eight (Series 2)
About $700
Full or half batches, automated bloom, precise temperature. Great coffee by the carafe, zero espresso required.
Buono Kettle, 1 L
About $58
A real stainless gooseneck for controlled pours, made in Japan. The entry kettle for V60 and AeroPress.
Bronze
Wave Gooseneck Kettle, 700 ml
$71.40
Fill it with hot water and the narrow spout does the rest: a slow, steady pour that doesn't splash.
Stagg Stovetop Kettle
About $90
No plug, thermometer in the lid, counterweighted pour. Put it on a burner and go.
Stagg EKG Pro
About $180
Set the water to the half degree and hold it there. Dial in the heat for light roasts or loose-leaf tea.
V60 Drip Scale
About $59
A cheap scale with a built-in timer. Weighing coffee and water is the fastest way to stop guessing.
Bronze
Claro Coffee Scale
$49.99
A small round scale with espresso and pour-over modes and a case of its own. Light enough to travel, good enough to stay on the counter.
Tally Pro Studio Edition
About $200
Ratio mode, timer, 0.1 g readability and USB-C charging. Works for espresso and filter, and matches the Stagg kettle.
Platinum
Lunar
$250.00
Compact, 0.1 g, flow-rate readout and auto-start timer. Built to live on a drip tray.
Silver
Pearl Coffee Scale
$150.00
The pour-over-sized sibling of the Lunar: 0.1 g readability on a platform big enough for a dripper and carafe.
Espresso Tamping Mat
About $25
Silicone mat with a tamper parking spot. Saves your counter and your portafilter spout.
Enhanced Espresso Bundle
About $150
The whole prep station in one box: funnel, WDT, knock box, mat and towels.
58 mm Magnetic Dosing Funnel
About $30
Magnets hold it on a 58 mm portafilter so grounds land in the basket, not on the counter.
Silver
Dosing Cup, 58 mm
$39.99
Grind into the cup, give it a shake, tip it into the basket. Cleaner transfers and fewer grounds on the counter, especially with a single-dose grinder.
Espresso WDT Tool
About $40
Slide-out needles break up clumps before you tamp. The cheapest fix for uneven shots.
Silver
Distribution Tool, Beech
$29.99
Levels the grounds before the tamp, so water can't find a shortcut.
Silver
Drop-In Knock Box, 6 x 6 in
$48.00
A knock box that sits in a hole in the counter, for a bar that's built in. Holds a day of pucks and keeps the bang quiet.
Espresso Knock Box
About $40
A quiet, weighted home for about seven spent pucks. Knock, don't bang.
Espresso Guided Tamper
About $100
Spring-loaded and self-leveling, so tamp pressure stops being the variable. For 58 mm baskets.
Silver
Tamper, Beech, 58 mm
$59.99
A solid hand tamper that matches a Mahlkönig grinder. For days the puck press is off duty.
Bronze
Steaming Pitcher, 20 oz
$20.00
A plain 20 oz steel pitcher with measurement lines. Milk drinks on an entry machine without spending much.
Bronze
LattoGo Milk Frother
$49.99
A handheld frother with a mesh whisk instead of a spring. Dense foam for a latte or a matcha latte, no steam wand needed.
Eddy Steaming Pitcher
About $40
A pitcher shape that makes latte art easier, in 12 or 18 oz. Sized for one or two drinks.
Tahoe Pitcher with Elite Filter
About $42
The lowest-effort water upgrade: cuts chlorine taste. A filter, not a mineral recipe, so know the difference.
Classic Profile
About $15
Mineral packets for distilled or RO water, made to meet SCA water standards. We stock it; your pour-over will notice.
Bronze
Dark Roast Profile
$18.00
Third Wave Water's mineral mix for dark roasts like Embers, made to tame bitterness and keep the chocolate and nutty notes.
Bronze
Medium Roast Profile
$18.00
Third Wave Water's mineral mix for medium roasts like Forge and Pathfinder, made to cut bitterness and bring up sweetness.
Bronze
Cold Brew Profile
$18.00
Cold brew is mostly water, so the water matters. Mineral sticks built for long, cold steeps.
Gold
Espresso Machine Profile
$18.00
Minerals made for espresso machines, skipping the chlorides that can damage boilers. Easier on your machine.
RCC7AK Reverse Osmosis System
About $240
Under-sink reverse osmosis with a remineralization stage. Clean, consistent base water for a serious bar. Test what comes out before you brew: it's a base, not a coffee recipe.
TDS Meter
About $15
The cheapest way to find out what's actually in your tap water before you blame the beans.
Monty Milk Art Cups
About $23
Cups shaped for latte art, sized to the drinks we actually pour.
Pirch Espresso Glasses
About $45
Clear glass shows off crema and layers. Sold in pairs so nobody drinks out of the odd one.
Atmos Vacuum Canister
About $80
Pulls the air out to keep whole beans fresher between bags. The right home for the bag you just bought.
Silver
Group Head Brush, 58 mm
$8.40
A 58 mm group head brush that scrubs out coffee oil without wrecking the gasket. Costs less than a latte.
Bronze
Grinder Cleaning Brush
$19.99
A brush that gets into the tight spots. Sweep the chute after every session and yesterday's grounds never reach today's cup.
Bronze
Barista Towel Set (2-Pack)
$9.99
Every bar needs two towels: one for the steam wand, one for the counter. These dry fast and hang on a hook.
Silver
Puro Machine Cleaner, 1 gal
$68.00
Dirty machines make dirty-tasting shots. Backflush with it, then soak the portafilter and baskets in it too.
Carter Wide Mug
About $35
Wide-mouth insulated mug that fits under most drippers. Brew straight into it and hit the road.
Bronze
Travel Tumbler
$39.99
Double-wall insulated, with a steel lining that keeps coffee tasting like coffee. Morning drip or an afternoon iced tea, it holds.
Bronze
AeroPress Go
$49.95
Packs a press, filters and a mug into one carry. A real cup at camp, in a hotel or at your desk.
Skerton Pro Hand Grinder
About $56
A ceramic-burr hand grinder for camp, work and travel. Also the cheapest way to grind fresh at home.
Bronze
Fino Portable Electric Grinder
$179.99
A portable electric burr grinder that covers espresso to French press. Fresh-ground coffee on the road, no hand cranking.
PUQ Press Mini (Gen 6)
About $940
An automatic puck press. Set the pressure once, drop in the portafilter and it tamps level every shot. The last step that still depended on your wrist.
Bronze
Mino Portable Electric Espresso Maker
$199.99
OutIn's pocket-sized espresso maker. It heats its own water, so a real shot needs nothing but a charge and fresh grounds.
Bronze
Nano Portable Espresso Maker
$149.99
A handheld espresso maker. A shot next to your pour-over, or on the road, without a machine on the counter.
Bronze
Side Pour Teapot, 10 oz
$30.00
A side-handled kyusu-style pot in glass, made for green tea, matcha and herbals.
Bronze
Sitka Glass Teapot
$36.00
2 sizes
A glass teapot with the filter built into the spout. Watch the loose leaf open up, then pour.
Bronze
Tea Infuser Basket
$16.99
Loose leaf in a mug, no teapot needed. The lid keeps it hot while it steeps.
Nothing in that budget for this category yet.
How buying works
Gear we'd brew on. Straight talk on how you buy it.
These are brands we recommend. We're not their official partners or authorized dealers. Some gear you buy right here in our checkout with your coffee, and some of that ships straight from the brand that makes it. Some you buy on the brand's own site. When that link earns us a commission, it says so right under the button, and it costs you nothing extra.
My setup
Plan your moves before you build the bar.
Save any piece of gear to My setup, keep a rough running total, and send the list to whoever's buying.
Straight answers
Questions about gear
How does buying work if some gear isn't sold here?
Gear with an Add to cart button is sold in our checkout, and some of it ships straight from the brand that makes it. Gear with a Shop at button takes you to that brand's site, and you check out there.
What's a paid link?
When you buy through a Shop at button marked as a paid link, we earn a commission from that brand. You pay the same price you'd pay going to their site directly. Commission or not, a piece only makes the list if we can tell you why it's worth your money.
Who handles shipping and returns on gear?
Gear sold here may ship from the brand's own warehouse, so it can arrive separately from your coffee, and returns follow that supplier's policy. If you bought on a brand's site, that brand handles shipping, returns and warranty.
Which setup should I start with?
New to brewing? Start with The Countertop Pour-Over or The AeroPress Travel Kit. If you mostly want lattes, skip straight to an espresso setup; a pour-over won't scratch that itch.
Do I need to plumb in a machine?
No. Only The Plumbed Platinum Bar is built around a water line, and even its La Marzocco can run from its own tank. If you do plumb in, hire a licensed plumber and follow local code and the machine's manual.
Do I need special power?
Sometimes. Many espresso machines use most of a standard 15-amp circuit, and some need more: the Ascaso Steel DUO PID calls for a 20-amp circuit. Check the spec sheet, then ask a licensed electrician. The build guide's power step lists what to ask.
How do I pick the right setup?
Start with where you'll brew and what you drink. Pick your spot (home bar, countertop or on the go) and a budget, and each setup shows every piece plus the roast we'd pour through it. The Build Your Home Coffee Bar guide walks you through water, grinder and machine step by step, and My setup saves your list so you can add it piece by piece. You don't need the expensive one to make a great cup.
Does coffee come with a setup?
No, setups are gear only. Each one names the roast we'd brew on it, so add a bag to your cart and the setup is ready on day one.
We roast for the way people live.